Split results for NH teams as Legion Regionals kickoff at Gill

MANCHESTER, NH – With the Queen City hosting this year’s American Legion Northeast Regional Tournament, supporters in attendance at Gill Stadium were treated to two Granite State teams competing in a doubleheader Wednesday evening.

Though tourney host Sweeney Post 2 of Manchester fell to Shrewsbury, Mass. (Post 397 4), 10-5, New Hampshire state champion Portsmouth (Booma Post 6) earned a 4-0 victory over South Burlington, Vermont.

Earlier in the day, Hudson, Mass. edged Hampden (Quirk Motor City Riverdogs), Maine (Post 213), 6-5, and Cumberland/Lincoln Upper Deck, Rhode Island (Post 14), slipped by West Hartford, Conn. (Post 96), 5-4, in the double-elimination tournament.

Shrewsbury, MA 10 – Sweeney (Manchester), NH 5

Tedy Cover earned the win for Shrewsbury thanks to 5.1 innings of four-hit ball. He allowed two runs while striking out five before exiting the game at 76 pitches.

Senior Noah Basgaard, batting cleanup, led the team with three RBI on a 2-4 effort that included a double. P. Dodds went 2-3 in the contest, while Thomas Kursonis went 1-4, plating two on a single. Cove, James Mitchell and Liam Collins each contributed an RBI for the winners as well.

Brett Beddington battled for Sweeney, taking the loss after allowing eight runs – only three of them earned – while limiting Shrewsbury to five hits in five innings and striking out three in a 102-pitch effort.

Alexander Rivera went 2-3 with two RBI, and Anthony Santilli and Andrew Hunton offered identical 1-4 hitting efforts, each plating one run.

Shrewsbury advances to play Cumberland, RI Thursday night while  Sweeney is set to face W. Hartford, CT in an elimination game at the tailed of a doubleheader beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Portsmouth, NH 4 – S. Burlington, VT 0

Jason Pinsonnault completely shutdown S. Burlington’s bats Wednesday afternoon. The Portsmouth standout fired off an efficient seven inning effort, allowing two hits while striking out five on 78 pitches.

Senior leadoff hitter Matthew Minkler set the table throughout the contest, going 3-4, while No. 2 hitter Timothy Avery went 2-3, with one RBI. Sage Beebe-Jenny also earned an RBI, going 1-3 in the contest.

Davis Hobbs took the loss after allowing four earned runs on five hits in five innings of work. He tossed 84 pitches, striking out three and walking three.

Hobbs and Jack Foster managed S. Burlington’s lone hits in the game.

Portsmouth looks to advance to the winner’s bracket final when it takes on Hudson, MA at 3:30 p.m. today, while S. Burlington will have to battle its way out of the loser’s bracket beginning with a clash against Hampden, ME at 9:30 a.m.

Cumberland, RI 5 – W. Hartford, CT 4

Ben Jahnz earned the win Wednesday, allowing three earned runs on seven hits during a five inning, 93 pitch effort. He struck out three and walked two. Jaiden Torres earned the save for Cumberland.

Offensively, Jack Larose was locked in, going 4-4 with a double and two RBI. Andy Ray was 2-4 with an RBI and Ryan Thompson went 1-3 knocking in a run on a double.

Owen Ludgin took the loss, striking out four batters and walking two while allowing nine hits, but only one earned run in 5.1 innings of 94-pitch ball.

John Kane went 3-4 from the cleanup spot; Tristan Baron was 2-4 with 2 RBI; Chase Hanawalt went 2-3 and Myles Fournier was 1-2 with an RBI.

Hudson, MA 6 – Hampden, ME 5

Chase Donahue pitched six innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking seven to earn the win for Hudson.

Daniel DeMirjian went 2-4, including a double, while plating one run, Chase Barrett was 1-4 with a double that scored one, and Donahue went 1-3 with a double.

TJ Llerena pitched six innings of one-hit ball, striking out five and walking two, but did not earn the win after the Hampden bullpen allowed six runs.

Llerena also went 2-3 with his bat, including a double and an RBI, while Kaysen Wildman had one hit and an RBI in three at bats and Andrew Cote contributed a double in the losing effort.

Check back later today for photos from last night’s games.